group work with children with behaviour problems

Assignment on

BYIMRAN AHMAD SAJID

M.Phil-2nd semester Date: __March, 2010

Submitted To:Dr. Sara Safdar

Director Institute of Social Development Studies

Groupwork with Children with Behaviour Disorders

Institute of Social Development Studies

(Social Work) University of

Peshawar

Abstract

Social Group Work is one of the basic methods of social work. It is

a growing industry in behaviour shaping. Behaviour disorder in

children can be managed very effectively through purposeful

groupwork interventions. In groupwork for children with behaviour

disorder the worker utilises operant conditioning principles and

various other dynamics to reshape (or reduce if can not be reshaped,

in case of ADHD) the behaviour of child.

AcknowledgementsAll praises to ALLAH, the most Merciful, Kind, and

Beneficent, and source of all Knowledge, Wisdom within and

beyond our comprehension. all respects and possible tributes

goes to our Holly Profit MUHAMMAD (Swal Allaho Alaihy Wasallam), who

is forever guidance and knowledge for all human beings on this

earth.

Thanks to Dr. Sara Safdar, the Director of Institute of Social Development

Studies and the course instructor, who has contributed enthusiasm,

support, sound advice, particularly her supportive attitude

was always a source of motivation for me. She guided me in a

polite and cooperative manner at every step.

Imran Ahmad Sajid

Table of ContentsBEHAVIOUR DISORDER 1

SOCIAL GROUP WORK 1

PERSPECTIVE ON BEHAVIOUR DISORDER 2

Legal Perspective 3

Psychological Perspective 3

Psychiatric Perspective 3

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR DISORDER 4

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) 4

Causes 4

Symptoms 4

How is oppositional defiant disorder diagnosed? 5

Conduct Disorder 6

Symptoms include 6

Antisocial Personality Disorder 7

Symptoms 7

Causes 8

Diagnosis 8

Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) 9

Symptoms 9

SOCIAL GROUP WORK FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOUR DISORDER 11

Intervention Programme of Groupwork for Children with Behaviour Disorder 12

Problem assessment: 12

Goals are set: 12

Discussion of strategies: 12

Modelling and Rehearsal: 12

Homework Assignments: 12

Subsequent Sessions: 13

Behaviour Shaping/Management Tools for Groupworker 13

Spoken To / Talking To 13

Pull-Up 14

Time Out 14

Hair Cut 14

Proposal for Groupwork with Behaviour Problem Children 14

CONCLUSION 15

Bibliography 16

BEHAVIOUR DISORDER

Despite enormous public and professional attention,

substantial numbers of youth continue to display antisocial,

destructive, and violent behaviours.1 A young person is said to have

a behaviour disorder when he or she demonstrates behaviour that is

noticeably different from that expected in the

school or community. This can also be stated in

simpler terms as a child who is not doing what

adults want him to do at a particular time.

There are interchangeable terms for behaviour

disorders- conduct disorders, emotional

disorders, and emotional disturbances. A

conduct disorder is also described as a

complicated group of behavioural and emotional

problems in youngsters. Children with this

disorder often seem to be behaving in different and socially

unacceptable ways. They are often describes as bad or delinquent.2

Mash and Wolfe (2002) define conduct problems or antisocial

behaviour as age-inappropriate actions and attitudes that violate

family expectations, societal norms, and the personal or property

rights of others.3

The most common behaviour disorder in children is attention-

deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Conduct disorder focuses on

mental health problems identified and created by more disruptive1 Mash & Wolfe. (2002). Abnormal Child Psychology. Belmont, USA: Wadsworth, Thompson Learning Inc. p. 127. 2 Marilyn Atherley . (2002). Behaviour Disorder in Children. In the websiteessortment .com. Retrieved on 12 October 2009 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childbehaviordisorders.html 3 Mash & Wolfe. (2002). Op. Cit. p. 128.

Figure 1 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NE-72ZXux-g/SlbwqyX13cI/AAAAAAAAKBg/af-6A1FpOJc/s400/572px-Vilhelm_Pedersen%252C_b%25C3%25B3jka_ubt.jpg

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childbehaviordisorders.html

behaviours. Oppositional defiant disorder is yet another behaviour

disorder that focuses on the behaviour that is disruptive to

relationships with others.

SOCIAL GROUP WORKSocial Group Work is one of the basic methods of social work.

Groups are natural way for people to communicate and interrelate

with one another. Since ancient times people have speculated about

how certain groups such as communities and social systems shape

human behaviour and have experimented to see how they can device

groups to change human behaviour and thus the social system. It is

to be noted that a group is a collection of two or more individuals,

who meet in face to face interaction, interdependently with the

awareness that each belongs to the groups and for the purpose of

achieving mutually agreed-upon goals. From family to town meetings,

groups are an important component of everyday life. They have the

power to influence in healthy and unhealthy ways.

Social group work is a

goal-directed activity with

small group of people aimed at

meeting socio-emotional needs

and accomplishing task.4

According to the Association

for Specialists in Group Work

(ASGW) social group work is a

broad professional practice that refers to the giving of help or the

accomplishment of tasks in a group setting. It involves the

application of group theory and process by a capable professional4 Tosland & Rivas. (1995). Introduction to Social Group Work.

Figure 2 http://cnx.org/content/m26783/latest/graphics1.png

practitioner to assist an interdependent collection of people to

reach their mutual goals, which may be personal, Interpersonal, or

task-related in nature.5 Konopka (1963) define group work as a

method of social work which helps individuals to enhance their

social functioning through purposeful group experiences to cope more

effectively with their personal, group and community problems.

The use of group work practice experiences is very useful and

effective for working with behaviourally disordered children. First

of all we need to comprehensively understand behaviour disorder and

its various types among children.

PERSPECTIVE ON BEHAVIOUR DISORDERAlmost all young people break the rules from time to time. Did

you ever defy authority, lie, fight, skip school, run away, break

curfew, destroy property, or steal? If so, welcome to the club-many

young people admit to these or other antisocial acts. Very few

adolescents refrain from antisocial behaviour entirely, and they

tend to be excessively conventional, overly trusting, anxious, and

socially incompetent-not at all well-adjusted. Behaviour problems

have been viewed from several perspective, each using different

terms and definitions to describe similar patterns of behaviour. 6

LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

Legally, conduct problems are defined as delinquent or

criminal acts. Legal definitions depend on laws that change over

time or differ across locations. Since delinquent acts result from

5 Samuel T. Gladding. (1995). Group Work: A Counseling Specialty. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice-Hall Inc. p. 46 Mash & Wolfe. (2002). Op. Cit. p. 130.

apprehension and court contact, legal definitions exclude the

antisocial behaviour of very young children (e.g. disobedience or

aggression), which usually occur at home or school. It is also

important to distinguish “official” delinquency from “self-reported”

delinquency, since youth who display antisocial patterns and are

officially apprehended may differ from those who display the same

patterns but are not apprehended because of their intelligence or

resourcefulness.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

From psychological perspective, conduct problems fall along a

continuous dimension of externalizing behaviour, which includes a

mix of impulsive, overactive, aggressive, and delinquent acts.

Children at the upper extreme, usually one or more standard

deviations above the mean, are considered to have conduct problems.

The externalizing dimension it self consist of two related but

independent sub-dimensions labelled “delinquent” and “aggressive”.

Delinquent behaviours include rule violations such as running away,

setting fires, stealing, skipping school, using alcohol and drugs,

and committing acts of vandalism. Aggressive behaviours include

fighting, destructiveness, and disobedience, showing off, being

defiant, threatening others, and being disruptive at school. 7

PSYCHIATRIC PERSPECTIVE

From a psychiatric or Mental Health perspective, conduct

problems are defined as distinct mental disorders base on DSM

symptoms. In DSM-IV-TR, disruptive behaviour disorders are

persistent patterns of antisocial behaviour, represented by the

categories of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.8 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid.

These were the three major perspectives on behaviour

disorders. Now there are several types of behaviour disorders which

are given in the next section.

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR DISORDER There are numerous types of behaviour disorders among children

such as conduct disorder, anti-social personality disorder,

oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention deficit hyper

activity disorder (ADHD) and others. For the sack of this report we

will be talking about four major behavioural disorders: Conduct

Disorder, ADHAD, ODD, and Anti-Social Personality Disorder.

OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER (ODD)

Oppositional defiant disorder is described by the Diagnostic

and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as an ongoing pattern of

disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures

which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behaviour. People

who have it may appear very stubborn.9

Causes

While the cause of ODD is not known, there are two primary

theories offered to explain the development of ODD. A developmental

theory suggests that the problems begin when children are toddlers.

Children and adolescents who develop ODD may have had a difficult

time learning to separate from their primary attachment figure and

developing autonomous skills. The bad attitudes characteristic of

ODD are viewed as a continuation of the normal developmental issues

that were not adequately resolved during the toddler years.

9 Oppositional defiant disorder. (2010, March 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:57, March 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oppositional_defiant_disorder&oldid=347447880

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oppositional_defiant_disorder&oldid=347447880


Learning theory suggests, however, that the negativistic

characteristics of ODD are learned attitudes reflecting the effects

of negative reinforcement techniques used by parents and authority

figures. The use of negative reinforcers by parents is viewed as

increasing the rate and intensity of oppositional behaviours in the

child as it achieves the desired attention, time, concern, and

interaction with parents or authority figures.

Symptoms

Most symptoms seen in children and adolescents with

oppositional defiant disorder also occur at times in children

without this disorder, especially around the ages or 2 or 3, or

during the teenage years. Many children, especially when they are

tired, hungry, or upset, tend to disobey, argue with parents, or

defy authority. However, in children and adolescents with

oppositional defiant disorder, these symptoms occur more frequently

and interfere with learning, school adjustment, and, sometimes, with

the child's (adolescent's) relationships with others.

Symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder may include:

frequent temper tantrums

excessive arguments with adults

refusal to comply with adult requests

always questioning rules; refusal to follow rules

behavior intended to annoy or upset others, including adults

blaming others for his/her misbehaviors or mistakes

easily annoyed by others

frequently has an angry attitude

speaking harshly, or unkind

deliberately behaving in ways that seek revenge

The symptoms of ODD may resemble other medical conditions or

behavior problems. Always consult your child's (adolescent's)

physician for a diagnosis.

How is oppositional defiant disorder diagnosed?

Parents, teachers, and other authority figures in child and

adolescent settings often identify the child or adolescent with ODD.

However, a child psychiatrist or a qualified mental health

professional usually diagnoses ODD in children and adolescents. A

detailed history of the child's behavior from parents and teachers,

clinical observations of the child's behavior, and, sometimes,

psychological testing contribute to the diagnosis. Parents who note

symptoms of ODD in their child or teen can help by seeking an

evaluation and treatment early. Early treatment can often prevent

future problems.

Further, oppositional defiant disorder often coexists with

other mental health disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety

disorders, conduct disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder, increasing the need for early diagnosis and treatment.

Always consult your child's (adolescent's) physician for more

information.10

CONDUCT DISORDER

10 Mental Health Disorders Oppositional Defiant Disorder. (Feb, 2010). In University of Virginia Health System. Retrieved on Feb 14, 2010 from http://www.hsc.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_adolescent/odd.cfm

http://www.hsc.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_adolescent/odd.cfm

Conduct disorder describes children who display severe

aggressive and antisocial acts involving inflicting pain on others

or interfering with others’ rights through physical and verbal

aggression, stealing, or committing acts of vandalism.11 It is a

psychiatric category marked by a pattern of repetitive behaviour

wherein the rights of others or social norms are violated.

Symptoms include

Aggression to people and animals

bullies, threatens or intimidates others

often initiates physical fights

has used a weapon that could cause serious physical harm to

others (e.g. a bat, brick, broken bottle, knife or gun)

is physically cruel to people or animals

steals from a victim while confronting them (e.g. assault)

forces someone into sexual activity

Destruction of Property

deliberately engaged in fire setting with the intention to

cause damage

deliberately destroys other's property

Deceitfulness, lying, or stealing

has broken into someone else's building, house, or car

lies to obtain goods, or favors or to avoid obligations

steals items without confronting a victim (e.g. shoplifting,

but without breaking and entering)

Serious violations of rules

often stays out at night despite parental objections

runs away from home

11 Mash & Wolfe. (2002). Op. Cit. p. 134.

often truant from school12

Conduct disorder is a major public health problem because youth

with conduct disorder not only inflict serious physical and

psychological harm on others, but they are at greatly increased risk

for incarceration, injury, depression, substance abuse, and death by

homicide and suicide. After the age of 18, a conduct disorder may

develop into antisocial personality disorder, which is related to

psychopathy.13

ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER

Persistent aggressive and antisocial patterns of behaviour in

childhood may be a precursor of adult antisocial personality

disorder, a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of,

the rights of others as well as engagement in multiple illegal

behaviours.14 Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD or APD) is

defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and

Statistical Manual as "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and

violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early

adolescence and continues into adulthood."15

Symptoms

Characteristics of people with antisocial personality disorder may

include:

12 Conduct Disorder. (2009). In American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved on 28 Dec, 2009 from http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/conduct_disorder13 Conduct disorder. (2010, February 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:09, March 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conduct_disorder&oldid=346189514 14 Mash & Wolfe. (2002). Op. Cit. p. 135.15 Antisocial Personality Disorder. (2010). In Behavenet ®. Retrieved on Feb 28, 2010 from http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/antisocialpd.htm

http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/antisocialpd.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conduct_disorder&oldid=346189514


http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/conduct_disorder

Persistent lying or stealing

Superficial charm

Apparent lack of remorse or empathy; inability to care about

hurting others

Inability to keep jobs or stay in school

Impulsivity and/or recklessness

Lack of realistic, long-term goals — an inability or

persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and

goals

Inability to make or keep friends, or maintain relationships

such as marriage

Poor behavioural controls — expressions of irritability,

annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;

inadequate control of anger and temper

Narcissism, elevated self-appraisal or a sense of extreme

entitlement

A persistent agitated or depressed feeling (dysphoria)

A history of childhood conduct disorder

Recurring difficulties with the law

Tendency to violate the boundaries and rights of others

Substance abuse

Aggressive, often violent behavior; prone to getting involved

in fights

Inability to tolerate boredom

Disregard for the safety of self or others

Persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard for

social rules, obligations, and norms

Difficulties with authority figures16

16 Antisocial personality disorder. (2010, February 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:25, March 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antisocial_personality_disorder&oldid=346847105

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antisocial_personality_disorder&oldid=346847105


Causes

Factors that contribute to a particular child's antisocial

behaviour vary, but they usually include some form of family

problems (e.g., marital discord, harsh or inconsistent disciplinary

practices or actual child abuse, frequent changes in primary

caregiver or in housing, learning or cognitive disabilities, or

health problems). Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is highly

correlated with antisocial behaviour.

A child may exhibit antisocial behaviour in response to a

specific stressor (such as the death of a parent or a divorce) for a

limited period of time, but this is not considered a psychiatric

condition. Children and adolescents with antisocial behaviour

problems have an increased risk of accidents, school failure, early

alcohol and substance use, suicide, and criminal behaviour. The

elements of a moderate to severely antisocial personality are

established as early as kindergarten. Antisocial children score high

on traits of impulsiveness, but low on anxiety and reward-dependence

—the degree to which they value, and are motivated by, approval from

others. Yet underneath their tough exterior, antisocial children

have low self-esteem.17

Diagnosis

Antisocial behaviour and childhood antisocial disorders such

as conduct disorder may be diagnosed by a family physician or

paediatrician, social worker, school counsellor, psychiatrist, or

psychologist. A comprehensive evaluation of the child should ideally

include interviews with the child and parents, a full social and

17 antisocial personality disorder. (2010). In Answers.com: the world leading Q&A site. Retrieved on Feb 28, 2010 from http://www.answers.com/topic/antisocial-personality-disorder

http://www.answers.com/topic/antisocial-personality-disorder


medical history, review of educational records, a cognitive

evaluation, and a psychiatric exam.

One or more clinical inventories or scales may be used to

assess the child, including the Youth Self-Report, the School Social

Behaviour Scales (SSBS), the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS),

Behavioural Assessment System for Children (BASC), Child Behaviour

Checklist (CBCL), the Nisonger Child Behaviour Rating Form (NCBRF),

Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI), and Diagnostic Interview

Schedule for Children (DISC). The tests are verbal and/or written

and are administered in both hospital and outpatient settings.18

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPER ACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or AD/HD) is a

neurobehavioral developmental disorder. ADHD is primarily

characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and

hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone."

ADHD is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric

disorder in children, affecting about 3 to 5% of children globally

with symptoms starting before seven years of age.

Symptoms

Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the key

behaviors of ADHD. The symptoms of ADHD are especially difficult to

define because it is hard to draw the line at where normal levels of

inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity end and clinically

significant levels requiring intervention begin. To be diagnosed

with ADHD, symptoms must be observed in two different settings for

18 Ibid.

six months or more and to a degree that is greater than other

children of the same age.

The symptom categories of ADHD in children yield three

potential classifications of ADHD—predominantly inattentive type,

predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, or combined type if

criteria for both subtypes are met:

Predominantly inattentive type symptoms may include:

Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and

frequently switch from one activity to another

Have difficulty focusing on one thing

Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they

are doing something enjoyable

Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and

completing a task or learning something new

Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments,

often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed

to complete tasks or activities

Not seem to listen when spoken to

Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly

Have difficulty processing information as quickly and

accurately as others

Struggle to follow instructions.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include:

Fidget and squirm in their seats

Talk nonstop

Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything

in sight

Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story

time

Be constantly in motion

Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

and also these manifestations primarily of impulsivity:

Be very impatient

Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without

restraint, and act without regard for consequences

Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their

turns in games

Most people exhibit some of these behaviors, but not to the degree

where such behaviors significantly interfere with a person's work,

relationships, or studies. The core impairments are consistent even

in different cultural contexts.

Symptoms may persist into adulthood for up to half of children

diagnosed with ADHD. Estimating this is difficult as there are no

official diagnostic criteria for ADHD in adults.[15] ADHD in adults

remains a clinical diagnosis. The signs and symptoms may differ from

those during childhood and adolescence due to the adaptive processes

and avoidance mechanisms learned during the process of

socialisation.

A 2009 study found that children with ADHD move around a lot

because it helps them stay alert enough to complete challenging

tasks.19

19 Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. (2010, March 2). In Wikipedia, TheFree Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:39, March 3, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder&oldid=347339254

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder&oldid=347339254


These are the three major behaviour disorders in children. Now

the next section deals with how group work can be useful or how

group work can be applied for children with behaviour disorder.

SOCIAL GROUP WORK FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOUR

DISORDERBehavioural groupwork is a growth industry. Its is an area

where the social work profession has made major contributions. The

approach draws on group-process principles as well as behavioural

principles.20 According to Toslend and Rivas (1995) there are two

types of groups: Task Groups and Treatment Groups. The group of

children with behaviour disorder can easily be placed in treatment

group.

Groupwork has many advantages to the children with behaviour

disorder. To begin with, the group can be a useful setting for

observation and assessment of individual clients. This is, of

course, true only to the extent that the group activity provides a

representative sample of relevant behaviour. Thus, it is useful for

assessing how people behave in a talking group, a team game, or

whatever, but tells us little or nothing about how, for example,

children get on with their parents or adults with their spouses or

employers. In terms of helping people change, groupwork offers

following:

1. Clients’ feelings of distress and aspects of unconstructive

‘self-talk’ may be reduced by the knowledge that they are not

alone in facing their difficulties;

20 Hudson & Macdonald. (1986). Behavioural Social Work: An Introduction. London: Macmillan Education Ltd. P. 165.

2. People get information and learn skills from other members of

the group;

3. Meeting with other clients may be more enjoyable that meeting

with a social worker only;

4. The wider range of models and of potential social

reinforcement may facilitate the learning of new behaviours;

5. The group may provide a closer approximation to people’s

natural environment and thus increase the likelihood of new

learning being generalised and maintained;

6. Watching others learn and helping them to do so may further

extend the range of new learning and the likelihood of

generalisation.

INTERVENTION PROGRAMME OF GROUPWORK FOR

CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOUR DISORDER

Like any behavioural intervention, groupwork goes through several

well-define stages.

Problem assessment:

The members learn to describe their problems in behavioural

language, and to count and measure and analyse in terms of

antecendents and consequences. Each person selects and initial

target behaviour and, if possible, baseline measurements are

obtained.

Goals are set:

Goals of members and group goals are set. Members’ goal can be

like, ‘I will be attending some outside social event or educational

facility at least once a week’; ‘I will have reduced my anxiety

rating when shopping in the supermarket’; ‘Jimmy will have fewer

than three tantrums per week’. The group goal is to change behaviour

and to enhance coping and problem solving mechanism through

behaviour change intervention.

Discussion of strategies:

If the problem is a behavioural deficit, ways of developing

the required behaviour, such as a programme of positive

reinforcement, shaping or chaining, are planned; if a behaviour is

to be reduced in frequency, the group plans an extinction or

punishment programme combined with increasing an acceptable

alternative.

Modelling and Rehearsal:

The behaviour involved in carrying out the plan is modelled by

the worker or by other members and rehearsed by the individual

concerned.

Homework Assignments:

These are usually real-life repeats of the rehearsals, or else

just the task of recording key events during the intervening period.

For example, to keep a diary of a child’s refusals to go to bed and

the surrounding circumstances, to note ‘tricky’ interpersonal

encounters, to ignore delusional talk on the part of a relative and

respond with enthusiasm to sensible talk, to make three telephone

calls to other members of the group. The assignments should be

written down, and some groupworkers have members get them signed by

some reliable witness when completed: this might be a ‘buddy’ from

the group or a parent or teacher. Homework assignments in some

groups include reading, for example from a self-help book on

depression or child behaviour problems or a specially prepared hand-

out as use frequently with social skills and phobics’ groups.

Subsequent Sessions:

After the first meeting the sessions begin with a report-back

on the homework; good efforts received positive reinforcement,

problems are reanalysed, lack of effort is passed over rather than

being allowed to attract interest and sympathy.

Many groups have an activity other than talking or role-play

as a setting in which to work on problems. Some provide relaxation

training, particularly where anger-control or anxiety is a problem

shared by all the members. Others include practice off the premises,

for example for agoraphobics or social phobics. Children’s groups

include games that are not only fun but also show up behavioural

problems such as shyness, pushiness or rudeness, and offer the

opportunity to try out an alternative behaviour and have it

reinforced by all present. Thus it is perfectly possible for a

behaviourally-oriented social worker to utilise his methods during a

football game or a camping trip.

BEHAVIOUR SHAPING/MANAGEMENT TOOLS FOR GROUPWORKER

Various behaviour management tools which groupworker can use

can be (but not limited to) following:

Spoken To / Talking To

It is a verbal correction regarding an observed behaviour or

attitude. It provides information to the person in a positive way

about how he is expected to behave in the group/community. This is

an initial correction intervention to shape and manage behaviour.

The main purpose of this tool is to make the individual aware about

a negative behaviour and to correct it by showing the right way to

act.

Pull-Up

It is on the spot verbal tool for a minor negative behaviour.

It is a reminder of an error/ lapse in the awareness of expected

behaviours and attitude. The pull-up is given by the peers, elders

and staff and is the most effective mean of teaching. The pull-up is

the most obvious and significant example of mutual self-help. The

person receiving the pull-up is expected to listen, without comment

assume that it is valid, quickly display the corrected behaviour and

expressed gratitude at receiving it.

Time Out

This is a specific period of time that a younger member of the

community centre can use, think about his problems, his future plans

and the obstacles that don’t allow him to plug in the program, in

the first period of residence.

Hair Cut

It is structured verbal reminder that is delivered by the

staff and peers. Its tone is more serious and there is maximum use

of anxiety to induce change. The use of peers to support community

expectations is a key element of the hair-cut.

Proposal for Groupwork with Behaviour Problem ChildrenPurpose To change Behaviour, Correction,

Rehabilitation, coping and problem solving

through behaviour change interventionLeadership Leader as expert, authority figure, or

facilitator, depending on approachFocus Focus on individual members’ problems,

concerns, or goalsBond Common purpose with separate member goals,

relationship of member with worker, group,

or other membersComposition Can be diverse or can be composed of people

with similar problems or concernsCommunicatio

n

Leader-to-member or member-to-member,

depending on approach self-disclosure

moderate to high.

CONCLUSIONTo sum up; obviously, the worker uses behavioural principles

as he guides the behavioural analysis and the behavioural change

programmes tailored to clients’ individual needs. Less obviously, he

uses behavioural procedures in the following ways: positive

reinforcement for helpful contributions; non-reinforcement for

unhelpful contributions (in ‘unruly’ groups such as some groups of

young offenders or hard-to-handle children it may also be necessary

to employ sanctions at first); arranging modelling, promoting and

immediate reinforcement of cohesive behaviour and efforts by members

to help themselves and each other; and training the group to make

their own decisions and to solve both individual and group problems

(for example, dealing with the over-talkative member or leader or

stopping others messing around). There is a wealth of practical

ideas in the behavioural groupwork literature as to how these things

can be achieved. 21

21 Hudson & Macdonald. (1986). Op. Cit. p. 169

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